Greg / MO

WOW!!!!! Wow, wow, wow!

Those are AWESOME-LOOKING!!!

Are you sure those are your first few attempts?

I feel kinda like a proud papa who watches his boy get his first hit in a baseball game or something!

Bols

Yeah, those are awesome looking.

Man, I think I am going to go out and make that cresting machine this weekend. Rip the old fletching off of my Gold Tips and get to work!!

Finch

Greg, I have a couple of questions. First off, I had never even heard of capping and cresting arrows. The purpose is just for self enjoyment and better arrow retrieval right? I'm guessing flourescent vanes will no longer be needed w/ capped and crested arrows?

Notice how Trembow has his crests close to the nock end? His go all the way around and yours do not. Does that matter or is it just a different style?

I shoot easton c2 realtree hardwood HD arrows. Would cresting be a good idea for this type of arrow? Thanks for the help.

Oneshot7

nice i might have to try this

Greg / MO

Duc, you're exactly right... The number-one reason is the latter you mentioned: better arrow retrieval. I absolutely love being able to get down from my stand and see that gloss white sticking up out of the forest floor! (I usually carry a couple field tips with me and pick a leaf out for practice at the end of my morning hunts; of course, it makes it easier when you've shot at deer too, but then the white is usually smeared with blood. )

Secondarily, I love how my custom cresting job sets me apart from other hunters, and sort of identifies me as a "serious" bowhunter. And, third, yes -- it's just fun to put your own personal touch on your hunting equipment, and gives you something to do in the offseason.

Pure difference of style. The great thing about doing this is the freedom to experiment. Don't like it? Scrape it off and start all over until you end up with a pattern you do like.

Those would look awesome! The good thing about it, you can try it for under $20-30, and if you don't like it, you can scrape off your efforts. You'll still know more about the sport and your equipment than you did before you started.

That's what we're all here for... to help each other out!

Finch

I appreciate your quick response. I am going to gather the materials this week and start the project. This will also give me a good excuse for buying a fletching jig. Thanks again.

If I have any more questions I will be sure to notify you.

Greg / MO

To save yourself a lot of time and worry, just go ahead and buy a Bitzenburger... seriously. They may be $30-40 higher than the other ones, but they have absolutely no "slop" in the mechanisms, and will last you a lifetime. They are the Cadillac of fletching jigs, and you'll never have to go buy another one for the rest of your life.

Finch

Thats the brand I was looking at a couple months ago. This past hunting season I was shooting arrows with a 1 degree offset (maybe even straight) but was curious about the helical vanes. Does the bitzenberger jig have different clamps that you can buy for it?

Edit: I did some research and answered my own question. Thanks for the reccomendation.

mobow

trembow, those look incredible. I have GOT to get one of those. I like my wraps, but not like that!

Trembow

Thanks for the compliments fellas! The red/white/blue one was actually my first. I'm making a set of those for my daughter who just started lessons last week. I'm still experimenting and haven't decided on a pattern for myself yet.

I haven't actually shot any of them yet either. I just got my bitz the other day and fletched my arrows up with blazers and my daughters with red and blue 4" plastifletch. We'll see how well things hold up, tonight maybe!

The Bitz is really easy to use once you figure it out, the instructions seem weird at first, but once you follow them they start to make sense. I had never fletched an arrow before either but I found it was very easy and straightforward with the bitz.